Child soldiers [Widescreen] (D)

Episode of Series “Big picture”.
This is an extremely disturbing documentary on the use and abuse of children as young as 10 years old being recruited as child soldiers by various means - voluntary or involuntary - through abduction, intimidation, coercion, or exploitation of a child’s social circumstances. More than thirty nations globally participate in this barbaric and inhumane practice involving over 300,000 children (conservative estimate by the United Nations) who are brutalised, drugged, brainwashed, and indoctrinated to kill and commit atrocities in civil wars and armed conflict. From Southern Sudan to Uganda, Burma, Columbia and Sierra Leone we are confronted with some of these young soldiers (girls as well as boys) and their horrific accounts of life as a child soldier. Many tell of their dangerous attempts at escape, returning home, only to be kidnapped again and again. However even more distressing is the enormous challenge these ex child soldiers have to face in overcoming the abuse and trauma which they have suffered, both physically and psychologically. Many of them end up homeless, too frightened to return home. And it is not only third world countries who recruit underage soldiers. The US recruit 17 year olds and Great Britain has no hesitation in sending 16 year olds off to war. Both the United Nations and the International Criminal Court are trying to resolve this human crisis but it is going to be a long hard struggle and in the meantime tragically, hundreds of thousands of young children worldwide are pawns in an adult game of violence and conflict. Narrated by Anthony LaPaglia. NOTE: CONTAINS MANY VISUALLY DISTURBING IMAGES.